Wesley Duke Update - The Orange Mane

DeusExManning · 04-15-2007, 02:16 AM

Interesting article

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/pri...xduke0415.html

'Another obstacle to conquer'
Duke hopes to return from 4th ACL tear

By John Hollis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 04/15/07

Wesley Duke is doing fine physically.

It's the mental aspect of his latest knee rehabilitation that has tried the patience of the former Meadowcreek athlete and Denver Broncos tight end.

Duke admitted getting frustrated at times over the last year as he's mended from his fourth tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee.

But things could be looking up for Duke, who got married last weekend.

"This means I have a family to support," he said, "so I'll have to work even harder."

Once confined to his Denver-area home for long stretches after undergoing another surgery last fall, Duke was recently cleared to resume running pass routes on a limited basis. He began catching passes from former Broncos teammate Matt Mauk last week.

"It's just another obstacle to conquer," said Duke, who hopes to be ready by the start of the upcoming NFL season. "If I want to play football, I've got to do what I've got to do to get back."

Duke was released by the Broncos days after hurting his knee last spring, but he said about 10 NFL teams have called to express interest in him.

"They're just waiting on him to get healthy," said Virgil Adams, Duke's Macon-based agent. "It's just a matter of him getting ... the opportunity to play. He's been down this road before."

When not busy with his rehab, Duke can be found working part-time as a cashier at a nearby Office Depot.

"I just had to get out of the house a little bit," he said.

His future appeared bright in fall 2005, when the Broncos signed the sculpted 6-foot-5, 245-pounder as a promising free agent —- even though he hadn't played football since his senior year in high school.

He was the surprise choice to be in the starting lineup when the Broncos hosted the AFC championship game against eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.

Duke, who will turn 26 in June, figured to contend for a permanent starting job.

He had just completed a season in NFL Europe with the Hamburg Sea Dragons when he tore up his knee at a team passing camp in late May 2006.

Duke has been often compared to San Diego's All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates, another college basketball-star turned NFLer, for their physical similarities as much as their backgrounds. Both were power forwards who were a bit undersized for the NBA and lacked great shooting range.

Duke was an intimidating shot-blocker and finished fourth in the national slam-dunk contest at the 2005 Final Four in St. Louis.

"Wes is a football player, no question about it," Adams said. "His future is in football. He was a good basketball player in college, but that's a different type of game."

Still, Duke wouldn't rule out trying pro basketball at some level if his football career hits a dead end.

"It's not closed," he said of a possible return to his college sport, "but right now, it's definitely football. I'm not a quitter."

THE WESLEY DUKE FILE

High school: Meadowcreek (1999), football, basketball and track

College: Mercer, basketball forward through 2004-05 season

Age: 25

Size: 6-foot-5, 245 pounds

Latest position: Denver Broncos tight end (2005)

Notable: Tore his left ACL on the first play of his senior football season, the first of four tears of the same knee ligament ... started 102 of 116 career basketball games at Mercer University, averaging 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds ... finished as the school's career leader in blocked shots (173), eighth in rebounds (687) and 18th in scoring (1,141 points) ... bachelor's degree in computer information, minor in management ... appeared in three games with the NFL's Denver Broncos in 2005, catching two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown ... did not play last season after being released by the Broncos in spring 2006 ... late uncle, Rufus Mayes, played 11 seasons in the NFL as an offensive tackle with the Bears (1969), Bengals (1970-78) and Eagles (1979).

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Kaylore · 04-15-2007, 02:18 AM

Four ACL tears. Man. I hope the best for him.

DeusExManning · 04-15-2007, 02:20 AM

So do I. I watched all of his NFL Europe games, he had serious potential. Major bummer when they cut him.

Tredici · 04-15-2007, 02:21 AM

the sculpted 6-foot-5, 245-pounder

Atlas · 04-15-2007, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tredici

the sculpted 6-foot-5, 245-pounder

Best of luck to the ultimate hard luck case.

Pendejo · 04-15-2007, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tredici

the sculpted 6-foot-5, 245-pounder

Cripes...you're never satisfied are you.

My favorite Wesley Duke moment was when they played SD in the regular season finale...he put Merriman flat on his back while Tatum strolled into the endzone.

Ok...so he didn't put him on his back...he just cleared him way the **** out of the way.

Kaylore · 04-15-2007, 02:41 AM

My favorite Wesley Duke moment was when a third of the board was proclaiming him Shannon Sharpe II after he caught one fade pass against Buffalo.

Man-Goblin · 04-15-2007, 02:53 AM

Hard to believe that this time last year he was the Broncos' #2 TE behind Alexander. I feel bad for the guy, but it just shows how a year can change things. Now, Alexander is #3 and will most likely be fighting for a roster spot in 4 months.

footstepsfrom#27 · 04-15-2007, 03:43 AM

Remember this from last December when I ran into his aunt in Dallas?

http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthr...ht=wesley+duke

HorseHead · 04-15-2007, 11:50 AM

at some point, we have to get over this Wesley Duke fascination...honestly...it needs to be put to rest.....

Play2win · 04-15-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HorseHead

at some point, we have to get over this Wesley Duke fascination...honestly...it needs to be put to rest.....

or not...

maybe, by the same token, at some point we should get over our JOHN ELWAY fascination, the other DUKE...

either way, we have some nice "replacement parts" put in at TE, this year and for many years to comes...

chaz · 04-15-2007, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Four ACL tears. Man. I hope the best for him.

ya i really hope the best for him as well...i have a friend who tore the same acl three times and now they just removed the ligament all together so he has bone on bone, really hope wesley wont have to deal with that

cutthemdown · 04-15-2007, 02:42 PM

Duke has as much chance of making it on to Broncos roster as I do. Well a little better then me but you get the point.

CBF1 · 04-15-2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

Duke has as much chance of making it on to Broncos roster as I do. Well a little better then me but you get the point.

What number you gonna wear... I will buy a jersey

04-15-2007, 02:16 AM	#1
DeusExManning Ring of Famer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orange County Posts: 1,336	Wesley Duke Update Interesting article http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/pri...xduke0415.html 'Another obstacle to conquer' Duke hopes to return from 4th ACL tear By John Hollis The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 04/15/07 Wesley Duke is doing fine physically. It's the mental aspect of his latest knee rehabilitation that has tried the patience of the former Meadowcreek athlete and Denver Broncos tight end. Duke admitted getting frustrated at times over the last year as he's mended from his fourth tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee. But things could be looking up for Duke, who got married last weekend. "This means I have a family to support," he said, "so I'll have to work even harder." Once confined to his Denver-area home for long stretches after undergoing another surgery last fall, Duke was recently cleared to resume running pass routes on a limited basis. He began catching passes from former Broncos teammate Matt Mauk last week. "It's just another obstacle to conquer," said Duke, who hopes to be ready by the start of the upcoming NFL season. "If I want to play football, I've got to do what I've got to do to get back." Duke was released by the Broncos days after hurting his knee last spring, but he said about 10 NFL teams have called to express interest in him. "They're just waiting on him to get healthy," said Virgil Adams, Duke's Macon-based agent. "It's just a matter of him getting ... the opportunity to play. He's been down this road before." When not busy with his rehab, Duke can be found working part-time as a cashier at a nearby Office Depot. "I just had to get out of the house a little bit," he said. His future appeared bright in fall 2005, when the Broncos signed the sculpted 6-foot-5, 245-pounder as a promising free agent —- even though he hadn't played football since his senior year in high school. He was the surprise choice to be in the starting lineup when the Broncos hosted the AFC championship game against eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh. Duke, who will turn 26 in June, figured to contend for a permanent starting job. He had just completed a season in NFL Europe with the Hamburg Sea Dragons when he tore up his knee at a team passing camp in late May 2006. Duke has been often compared to San Diego's All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates, another college basketball-star turned NFLer, for their physical similarities as much as their backgrounds. Both were power forwards who were a bit undersized for the NBA and lacked great shooting range. Duke was an intimidating shot-blocker and finished fourth in the national slam-dunk contest at the 2005 Final Four in St. Louis. "Wes is a football player, no question about it," Adams said. "His future is in football. He was a good basketball player in college, but that's a different type of game." Still, Duke wouldn't rule out trying pro basketball at some level if his football career hits a dead end. "It's not closed," he said of a possible return to his college sport, "but right now, it's definitely football. I'm not a quitter." THE WESLEY DUKE FILE High school: Meadowcreek (1999), football, basketball and track College: Mercer, basketball forward through 2004-05 season Age: 25 Size: 6-foot-5, 245 pounds Latest position: Denver Broncos tight end (2005) Notable: Tore his left ACL on the first play of his senior football season, the first of four tears of the same knee ligament ... started 102 of 116 career basketball games at Mercer University, averaging 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds ... finished as the school's career leader in blocked shots (173), eighth in rebounds (687) and 18th in scoring (1,141 points) ... bachelor's degree in computer information, minor in management ... appeared in three games with the NFL's Denver Broncos in 2005, catching two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown ... did not play last season after being released by the Broncos in spring 2006 ... late uncle, Rufus Mayes, played 11 seasons in the NFL as an offensive tackle with the Bears (1969), Bengals (1970-78) and Eagles (1979). Sponsored Links

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04-15-2007, 02:18 AM	#2
Kaylore 6-37, Raider fans. Yummy birds and snow! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ceti Alpha V Posts: 41,050 Adopt-a-Bronco: Wesley Duke	Four ACL tears. Man. I hope the best for him.

04-15-2007, 02:20 AM	#3
DeusExManning Ring of Famer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orange County Posts: 1,336	So do I. I watched all of his NFL Europe games, he had serious potential. Major bummer when they cut him.

04-15-2007, 02:21 AM	#4
Tredici Ring of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 10,010	the sculpted 6-foot-5, 245-pounder

04-15-2007, 02:41 AM	#7
Kaylore 6-37, Raider fans. Yummy birds and snow! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ceti Alpha V Posts: 41,050 Adopt-a-Bronco: Wesley Duke	My favorite Wesley Duke moment was when a third of the board was proclaiming him Shannon Sharpe II after he caught one fade pass against Buffalo.

04-15-2007, 02:53 AM	#8
Man-Goblin Giving You The Business Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Huntersville, NC Posts: 5,588 Adopt-a-Bronco: Woodyard	Hard to believe that this time last year he was the Broncos' #2 TE behind Alexander. I feel bad for the guy, but it just shows how a year can change things. Now, Alexander is #3 and will most likely be fighting for a roster spot in 4 months.

04-15-2007, 03:43 AM	#9
footstepsfrom#27 helmet to helmet hitter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 16,117 Adopt-a-Bronco: Joe Mays	Remember this from last December when I ran into his aunt in Dallas? http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthr...ht=wesley+duke

04-15-2007, 11:50 AM	#10
HorseHead Ring of Famer Stay thirsty my friends.. Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,211 Adopt-a-Bronco: Bay Bay	at some point, we have to get over this Wesley Duke fascination...honestly...it needs to be put to rest.....

04-15-2007, 02:42 PM	#13
cutthemdown A verbis ad verbera Zimm to HOF Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Long Beach Posts: 32,460	Duke has as much chance of making it on to Broncos roster as I do. Well a little better then me but you get the point.